John G. Roberts, Jr., Chief Justice of the
United States, will have a chance to put four
UF law students on the spot this semester.
Roberts will become the first representative
of the U.S. Supreme Court in history to judge
the Justice Campbell Thornal Moot Court Final
Four on Sept. 5 at the Curtis M. Phillips
Center. "To have the Chief Justice of our
nation judge our Final Four Moot Court
Competition is a great privilege for our
students and the University of Florida," said Robert Jerry, dean
of the UF College of Law and Levin, Mabie and Levin Professor of
Law. "It is a tremendous understatement to say that it has
elevated both the significance of this annual event and the
anxiety levels of our student competitors."
READ MORE>>

3 new and returning students to the
.i.j, -college. This is shaping up to be
one of the most event-filled years
in our college's history, and I
hope that when mid-May 2009
appears on your calendar, you
will look back on your 2008-09 academic experience as one of
your best ever.
READ MORE>>

Debra Amirin, APR
Director

Lindy Brounley
Associate Director, UF Law
Magazine Editor

Hedda Prochaska
Online Communications
Coordinator

Scott Emerson
Senior Writer

lan Fisher
Law Student Writer

Joshua Lukman
Photographer

Chen Wang
Photographer

Martin H. Levin Advocacy Center Breaks
Ground

Thanks to support from Levin
College of Law alumni and
friends, UF Law faculty, staff and
students will soon enjoy a legal
advocacy center second to none.
The Levin Law Advocacy Center,
the core of a $5.2 million
construction project will expand
legal advocacy education and
provide state-of-the-art trial facilities for the college. Named in
honor of Martin H. Levin, son and former colleague of Pensacola
attorney and college namesake Fredric G. Levin, the center will
put UF Law at the forefront of major law colleges providing
students with sophisticated facilities and services.
READ MORE>>

Career Spotlight: Derek Bruce

When someone asks Triple-Gator Derek
Bruce (JD/MBA 98) to describe himself in one
word, they hear one answer blessed.
Thankful for the opportunities he's been
afforded, he now devotes his career to a
place that makes dreams come true for
others. As director of government relations
for Walt Disney World, he describes the
position as a role that works with both
internal and external stakeholders to protect
and promote Walt Disney World through the development of
legislation and government policies and procedures.
READ MORE>>

SBefore my trip to Costa Rica, I traveled to 16
countries and lived in six of them. In my
travels, I discovered that it is always best to
I go with an adventurous and easygoing
attitude. This way, when things don't go as
: planned, as they often don't, I am still calm
and enjoying myself and taking in the
experience of another culture in a positive
way. I always have to keep in the forefront of
my mind that the beauty of other people is

FlaLaw Online is published
each week school is in session
by the Levin College of Law
Communications Office:

that they do not always do things the way I do-and I have to
be prepared for that. I had just completed my first year of law
school when I went to Costa Rica on a UF study abroad
program. The classes focused on environmental law, but I was
more interested in human rights (which I learned that the two
are more connected in other countries than they are in the U.
S.). I had an externship at the Inter-American Institute of
Human Rights.
READ MORE>>

UF Law Student Wins Diversity Scholarship

With a move from bustling Chicago to a
sparsely populated Tennessee town in his
early teenage years, a stint as a thirteen-
year-old college student, and a Jewish Puerto
Rican background, Jesse Butler's (2L) life has
been anything but usual. These experiences
contributed to his selection as a 2008
Diversity Scholarship recipient by the
Sarasota County Bar Association, a
scholarship awarded to minority students at
Florida law schools with an interest in practicing law in Sarasota
County upon graduation. The two recipients are given a $5,000
scholarship at the end of a 10-week employment period in
Sarasota County. After writing an essay and undergoing an
interview process with both the Sarasota County Bar Association
and his future summer employer, Syprett, Meshad, Resnick,
Lieb, Dumbaugh, Jones, Krotec & Westheimer, P.A., Butler was
offered the scholarship and an internship with the firm.
READ MORE>>

Professor Lyrissa Lidsky was
quoted in Time on new Web site
WhoCanISue.com. The new site
plans to help consumers
determine whether they actually
have a case and help them find
an attorney from a list of lawyers
who advertise their expertise on
the Web site. Lidksy believes the
service "is likely to increase the number of lawsuits." But, adds

Lidsky, who specializes in Internet law and the First
Amendment, "It's a good thing to the extent people are
vindicating their legal rights to the extent they didn't years ago."
SFaculty Scholarship & Activities

Upcoming Events

Environmental and Land Use Law Potluck Sept. 4

There will be a potluck reception for all students and faculty with
an interest in environmental and land use law, at the home of
Professor Mary Jane Angelo on Thursday, September 4 at 6:00 p.
m. Bring your favorite dish and get to know some students and
faculty who share your interests. Please RSVP to Lena Hinson at
hinson@law.ufl.edu and let Lena know if you need directions of
Prof. Angelo's home.

News Briefs

Student Affairs Welcomes New Registrar Sharon Booker
The Office of Student Affairs would like to
welcome new registrar Sharon Booker to the
UF Law community. Booker joins us from
Florida State University College of Law where
she was the director of admissions and
records for nearly nine years. She has
bachelor's degree from the University of
Florida and a master's degree from Florida
State University. Booker is thrilled to return
to her alma mater after being away for nearly
twenty years. "This is my home. I grew up in the Gainesville
area and attended UF as an undergrad. I am excited to be back,
and I look forward to the opportunity to contribute to the
process of making the UF law school experience as positive as
possible for our students," she said.

Study Abroad Program Raises Awareness to Benefit South
African School
For 19 UF law students, the UF/
University of Cape Town Study
Abroad Program turned into more
than just a summer trip. The UF
students, along with the High
P Springs Community School,
sponsored a pen pal project that
raised $3,400 to benefit
Kalksteenfontein Primary School
(KPS) in South Africa, which they also volunteered at. KPS is
located in Cape Flats, a poor township 15 miles outside of Cape
Town. Many of its residents were forced from Cape Town when
District Six became a whites only area under apartheid. The
money raised is enough for 136 KPS students' tuition, said
Kathie Price, associate dean for library and technology. "If
indeed the purpose of these summer programs is to be life-
changing experiences, this whole relationship with an outgrowth
of District Six, allowed us to be submerged in the life of the
town or the life of the city and to see what the aftereffects of
apartheid are," Price said.

Inn of Court Seeks Members

The James C. Adkins, Jr.
Inn of Court, Gainesville,
is seeking well-qualified
students interested in
participating in the
esteemed American Inns
of Court, a legal
mentoring organization
that teams law students
(pupils) with new lawyers
(associates), seasoned practitioners (barristers), and judges and
senior trial lawyers (Masters of the Bench). The Inn meets six to
eight times per year. Selected students participate in regular
meetings, consisting of a dinner with all members of the Inn
present, followed by an educational component, at which the
members of the Inn demonstrate and discuss issues,
techniques, problems and ethics of trial advocacy. This is an
excellent opportunity to work with and to observe outstanding
trial lawyers and judges while learning trial techniques and
valuable skills. Applications, available in Legal Research &
Writing, are due Sept. 15. For more information, please contact
Legal Skills Professor Diane Tomlinson at tomlinso@law.ufl.edu.

ELULP Informational Meeting
The Environmental and Land Use
Law Program offers many
opportunities for you to become
involved and learn about these
important areas of law. There will
be an informational meeting from
12:00 12:50 p.m., on
Wednesday, September 10 in
Room 355D Holland. At the
meeting you'll learn critical information about the ELUL program,
including the requirements for earning a Certificate in
Environmental and Land Use Law, and details about the
curriculum, including the Conservation Clinic, summer
externships, and the Summer Study Abroad in Costa Rica, and
find out about the Environmental and Land Use Law Society, the
Environmental Moot Court Team, the Public Interest
Environmental Conference, and our new LL.M. in Environmental
and Land Use Law. Students who attend will also have the
chance to meet and talk with some of the ELULP faculty and to
get individual advice on course selection for summer and fall and
career development guidance. This is an excellent opportunity
for currently enrolled certificate students to get answers to
questions about certificate requirements, course availability, etc.

All students with an interest are encouraged to attend, but
especially first and second year students this is the ideal
opportunity to get the best possible information to plan your
academic program for your remaining semesters. Questions?
Contact ELULP Program Assistant Lena Hinson at hinson@law.ufl.
edu.

CSRRR Research Assistant Needed
Research Assistant needed to
help carry out the goals and
mission of the Center for the
Study of Race and Race
Relations. Responsibilities include
researching and writing articles
for the yearly newsletter,
organizing aspects of the Center's
programs and events, participating in Center-sponsored

activities, and providing administrative expertise. Candidate
must have excellent organizational and writing skills. Contact
Melissa Bamba at Bamba@law.ufl.edu or 273-0614 to apply.

Funds Available to Student Organizations
The Center for the Study of Race
and Race Relations will make
funds available during the 2008-
2009 academic year to registered
student organizations sponsoring
programs or activities that
address the Center's mission.
Awards of up to $500 available
for programs or activities that
substantively address issues of race, race relations and/or
racism. To be considered for funding, email a brief summary,
including the name of your group, date funds needed, a budget,
and the date and description of the proposed event, to Melissa
Bamba Bamba@law.ufl.edu or 273-0614. Apply early as funds
are limited.